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You will reduce eye strain and muscle fatigue in your neck, shoulders, and upper back by properly positioning your monitor and adjusting its angle.
Positioning the Monitor
Place the monitor directly in front of you. To determine a comfortable viewing distance, stretch your arm toward the monitor and notice the location of your knuckles. Place your monitor near that location. You should be able to clearly see the text on your monitor.
Adjusting the Monitor Height
Your monitor position should allow your head to be balanced comfortably over your shoulders. It should not cause your neck to bend forward uncomfortably or backward to any degree. You may find it more comfortable to position the monitor so that the top line of text is just below your eye height. Your eyes should look slightly downward when viewing the middle of the screen.
Many computer designs allow you to place the monitor on top of the system unit. If this places the monitor too high, you may want to move the monitor to the desktop. On the other hand, if the monitor sits on your work surface and you feel any discomfort in your neck or upper back, the monitor may be too low. In that case, try using a thick book or a monitor stand to raise the monitor.
Tilting the Monitor
Tilt the monitor so that it faces your eyes. In general, the monitor screen and your face should be parallel to each other. To check for correct monitor tilt, have someone hold a small mirror in the center of the viewing area. When sitting in your normal work posture, you should be able to see your eyes in the mirror. |
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TIPS
Eye height
Your eye height will change considerably whether you use a reclining or upright posture, or some posture in between. Remember to adjust your monitor's height and tilt each time your eye height changes as you move through your comfort zone.
Notebook viewing
Whenever using a notebook computer for long periods, you may find it more comfortable to connect a full-size monitor. A separate monitor gives you a wider range of viewing distance and height options.
Adjusting brightness and contrast
Reduce the potential for eye discomfort by using brightness and contrast controls on your monitor to improve the quality of text and graphics.
AVOID!
If you look at the monitor more than you look at paper documents, avoid placing your monitor to the side. |
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Adjusting Monitor Height for Bifocal and Trifocal Users
If you wear bifocals or trifocals, it's especially important to properly adjust your monitor height. Avoid tilting your head back to view the screen through the lower portion of your glasses; this could lead to muscle fatigue in your neck and back. Instead, try lowering your monitor. You may want to consider using monofocal glasses that are specially made for computer use. |
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 WRONG
If you wear bifocals or trifocals, don't position your monitor so high that you have to tilt your head back to view the screen. |
Eliminating Glare and Reflections on Your Monitor
Take the time to eliminate glare and reflections. To control daylight, use blinds, shades, or drapes, or try other glare-reducing measures. Use indirect or reduced lighting to avoid bright spots on your display screen.
If glare is a problem, consider these actions:
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Move your monitor to a place where glare and bright reflections are eliminated. |
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Turn off or reduce ceiling lights and use task lighting (one or more adjustable lamps) to illuminate your work. |
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If you cannot control the ceiling lights, try positioning your monitor between rows of lights instead of directly beneath a row of lights. |
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Attach a glare-reduction filter to your monitor. |
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Place a visor on your monitor. This device may be as simple as a piece of cardboard extending out over the monitor's top front edge. |
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Avoid tilting or swiveling your display in a way that leads to an uncomfortable head or upper back posture. |
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TIP
Eliminating glare
Try positioning your monitor so that its side faces the windows.
AVOID!
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Avoid compromising your posture to compensate for glare or reflections. |
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Try to avoid bright light sources in your field of vision. For example, don't face an uncovered window during daylight hours. |
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